The New Nation - Internet Edition

THE Lawachhara forest is reportedly heading towards what looks like a doom under multidimensional onslaughts. The future of this rain forest appears to be threatened by forces inimical to nature. Chevron, the giant international oil company, has been conducting three-dimensional seismic surveys in the forest to delineate gas reserve in the area. Environmentalists protested the survey out of the fear that underground explosions that are being carried out might cause serious harm to the forest.

According to media reports, the explosions have caused serious harm to biodiversity. The forest is a habitat for many endangered species of birds and animals including capped langur, Assamese macaques. They have started fleeing into remote areas being panicked by the strange mechanical noise that exceeds safe audibility limits. Experts fear that the pregnant animals may face abortion due to tremors and noise pollution. The story does not end here. A powerful nexus is active in destroying the forest. Smuggling of logs from the forest by illegal loggers is so rampant that forest officials fear that in ten years there will be no woods at Lawachhara.

Lawachhara is one of the last remaining primary forests in Bangladesh, which has only nine percent of its land covered by forest. This rain forest has an ecological system with a complete and harmonious life cycle. The plants and animals have lived and thrived in the forest for decades in a delicate balance. Now, this ecological system is threatened. The forest must be protected at any cost before it is lost forever. All activities that cause damage to the forest must be stopped. A complete inventory of plants and animals of Lawachhara should be made to regularly monitor the situation and take conservation measures.